Sweet Taste of India: My Semester in the Far East

Schoolboys from Police DAV Public School

Police DAV Public School K-12

So maybe you know this, but I went to India (alone) to do part of my student teaching for two months. I taught 4th-10th standard art (standard is their way of saying grade) in a school called Police DAV Public School. I was located in the northwestern part of India in the state of Punjab, approximately 100 miles from the Kashmir border with Pakistan (highly disputed over). I lived in a city called Jalandhar, with a population of over 700,000 people. In that state, most of the people are Hindu, but a good portion are Sikh (pronounced <sick> in India). 

Sikh Men at Aman's Wedding Ceremony

I have come to realize that a large chunk of people I talk to have never heard of Sikhism. I will compare Sikhism to Hinduism, a religion most people are somewhat knowledgeable of. I noticed that Hindus greet others by saying "Namaste" or "Let their be a salutation to you" while placing their hands palms together over their chest, in a prayer position while bowing their heads. Typically we see this after a session of yoga, but they do it daily. A Sikh person will do the same gesture, but say "Sat Shri Akal" meaning "God is truth". A male Sikh will commonly never cut his hair, and also, in many cases, allow the hair on his face to grow long. They wrap their hair in a cloth and twist it up into the shape of a turban.  In contrast, Hindu men typically keep their hair short. Hindu families even ceremoniously shave the head of  a male baby shortly after he is born. They do not typically wear turbans to my knowledge. The most obvious difference is the belief itself. Sikhs believe in one god that goes by many names. They do not worship idols, or statues; they reject the caste system so prevalent in Hinduism even to this day. However, Sikhs believe in samsara, or a repetitive cycle of birth, life and death, similar to Hindus. Interestingly, all Sikh men share the same last name: Singh which literally means "lion". There are more differences and similarities that I do not know enough about. 

Some of the Art Department Staff

Every state in India has it's own culture, and it's own identity, respectively. In the state I was in, Punjab, they spoke Punjabi first and foremost; some also spoke English and Hindi. The school, I was fortunate enough to be placed in, taught lessons in English, but many of the teachers, I learned, did not speak English fluently. Some students could speak better English than their teachers. Most of the art department faculty could not speak English very well, so needless to say, I was fairly lost to begin with. To my surprise, I picked up on their mannerisms and expressions quickly and this was never a big issue. Sometimes it helped if I wrote or drew what I was trying to say. The Principal of the school and her family spoke perfect English. Luckily, I was invited to spend a substantial amount of my free time with them. 

A Village Woman Cooking a Chapatti

Even the smell in India is different. I was first introduced to the spicy aroma upon entering the plane from Newark to Delhi. It was a smell I learned to love because I immediately started to correlate it to Indian food. And the food, in my opinion is AMAZING to say the least. Being that I was a vegetarian, I fit right in. It seemed that most Indians practice a vegetarian lifestyle and refrain from eating most meats. Hindu people do not eat beef because the cow is considered to be sacred and roams free in India (usually decorated with paints and bells... cute cows!).  In fact, if you do eat meat in India, you are considered Non-Veg. In the north, where I spent the large majority of my trip, the staple foods are beans, lentils and potatoes. Bread is preferred to rice. I usually ate different curries (mixtures of vegetables with staple foods in a sauce) using a chapatti (similar to a flour tortilla) to scoop it up. I was sure to use my right hand only, but only after I was frowned at for trying to use both hands, including my "unclean", left hand. This hand, I learned is the designated for wiping purposes only in the washroom (bathroom). I was always sure to carry toilet paper, an American tradition that I could not bear to stop even in India. Side note... the toilet paper I had brought to my room in India had a picture of Britney Spears on the protective paper covering. It made me laugh hard. 

Holy Cow!

I was fortunate enough to learn some basic Indian cooking techniques from a Non-English speaking Nepalese man, who worked as a chef in the kitchen of the Principal. He works in the winter and goes home to his wife and family in the summer, apparently a common practice in northern India. We communicated through cooking and our made-up sign language. I learned that tomato and onion are the base of almost every Indian recipe. Next comes the spices! No Indian kitchen is complete without an Indian spice box, a round metal dish containing smaller containers of different spices, namely: salt, garam masala, ground coriander seeds, red chili powder, mango powder, white cumin seeds, tumeric, and mustard seeds (among others). I learned to prepare paneer (cheese curd), chapattis, pranthas (potato tortillas) and dal. I should have taken notes, because sadly, I don't remember everything.

Aman and I at Her Bangle Ceremony

I had considered the fact that I wasn't going to "fit in" and worried about how this would settle with the locals. I have white, pink-toned skin, blonde hair and measure 5'10". I was wearing my hair very short at the time as well. Most Indian women meet the exact opposite description. I was careful to cover my shoulders and wear long pants or skirts so as not to provoke lustful feelings among the men. Even considering, I could not take a walk around campus without at least one man following me around for quite a ways and asking me every question in the book. This is typical and socially acceptable there. In fact, I was even asked if I would like to be married a few times. They always were sure to give me their phone numbers in case I changed my mind. For this reason, I kept mostly to myself, unless I was invited somewhere by someone I knew. Not to say that I felt unsafe. The school was stationed at a police campus. Armed guards were in front of nearly every important building. These men did not budge (like those famous English guards) and looked very protective. I just wanted to fit in, and people just don't recreationally run there. I could not run outside during the day without feeling a little uncomfortable because of the looks. I tried running at night, but found I was too clumsy for that. I came home bloody and scraped up from head to toe after a run-in with a pothole. Later on, I discovered a track open to the public, and my friend Rajinder, a P.E. teacher taller than me, took me there. For these reasons, I am sad to say, I did not run unless Rajinder wanted to go to the track, which was not too often.

A Sikh Groom and Bride (Aman)

Rajinder was a good friend of mine while I was staying on campus. She has a corky, spontaneous personality similar to mine. She just says it how it is. In addition to her appearance, Rajinder proved to be quite different than most Indian people I met. She lived across the street in the apartments with her husband, also very tall, and their two, lovely kids. This in itself was an nontraditional arrangement. Usually the bride moves into the house of the husband and shares the home with extended family members. Rajinder met her husband during an amateur basketball tournament. They had a love marriage, uncommon in India. Usually marriages are arranged by the parents. Lots of things are considered when deciding compatibility. A man and woman are married into the same caste. Indians are also generally very auspicious and look to astrology and numerology to help guide this decision. Some marriages occur at a very young age, even as young as five,  a practice that is not as common nowadays, but still happens. I think it's more common to be married after schooling, like in the states. I am not sure the details of how it all works, but I believe the couple usually gets to see each other beforehand, just to be sure they are physically attracted, but not always. Dowries are given by the bride's family. Rajinder spoke of her dowry including the appliances in the house and a car. They were a middle class family. In India, there are many rich and even more poor. It was not as common to see the in between, at least in my experience. I loved Rajinder because she seems like a very confident, open-minded woman. 

I Especially Loved Rajinder's Daughter

Mostly Rajinder would invite me to her apartment and we would just talk. She expressed a deep desire to live in Canada with some of her relatives. I found out that lots of Indians find homes in parts of Canada, England and the United States. Her family was always sending her nice things from Canada and she had developed a love for the western culture. I think this was one reason she really liked talking to me. Rajinder discoved that she loved Nike shoes and rap music. I can't remember what rapper was popular at the time, but her daughter (age 10, I think) made me teach her the words so that she could sing it to her friends. I had to explain what all the slang words meant because she was just mummbling. Maybe I wasn't the best rap teacher, but she was a wonderful student. She practiced her English on me any chance she got and I was surprised at how fluent she was even at her age.

Rajinder's Family

One time, I had the opprotunity to go to Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab, to visit Rajinder's in-laws. They lived outside of the city in the country. They had more property to themselves than I ever saw the whole time I was there. Buildings in India are generally very close together without yards. I was surprised at how much colder it was there. Being that is was the wintertime while I was there it could get cold at times, but it seldom dropped below 55 at night, and stayed at a comfortable 65-75 degrees during the day. I don't know what the temperature was the night I slept over, but I procrastinated making the walk barefoot to the washroom on the cool, marble floor night I stayed. Rajinder's in-laws were very hospitable (as was every other Indian person I met) and we talked about a range of things. I discovered her father-in-law was featured in several motion pictures as a side character. He worked as a professor in a college there, teaching Punjabi. He taught me a few words, but it has been too long and my brain cannot rememeber all the details. We also visited an open air market. Rajinder bought lots of new clothes and convinced me that I needed even more souvenirs because she could bargain better than me and that I should take advantage of it. That was true, and I did buy a few things more than I probably should have. But how often are you in India in your life?

Funny story, while I was in Chandigarh, I took a "shower". Taking a "shower" in India is a little more complicated than in the states. Well it's not really a shower at all because most bathrooms in India do not have a shower or bathtub. Instead, you bathe from a big bucket with a scoop to rinse your body. I had grown accustomed to doing this, since I had the same bathing situation in my room. Bother "showers" even had a geyser, or small water heater made solely for washing, attached to the faucet, so I was fortunate enough to have hot water. Everything was going very well. After learning through trial and error, I had become accustomed to my routine way of doing things: 1) turn on the geyser (pronounced geezer, no joke) at least 30 minutes ahead of time; 2) fill the bucket until the hot water runs out; 3) take clothing off when the bucket is just about full (can be cold in the morning); 4) stick head in the bucket to get hair wet; 5)use a washcloth to do a pre-wash over entire body; 5) add soap to the washcloth and scrub quickly, shampoo; 6) hold the bucket over the head and pour the luke-warm water over entire body. Oh and skip the conditioner; it's way too complicated. The only problem I had in Chandigarh was that I forgot my personal shampoo. I was tempted to use the body soap in my hair, but I found what I thought was shampoo. After adding quite a bit of the stuff to my hair, I realized that it was way too greasy to be shampoo. I discovered it was hair oil! Indian women and men have thick, course hair and sometimes add oil to make it softer. I was thoroughly embarrassed, but no one noticed except me. 

Rashmi and I in Saris

The Principal of the school, Rashmi, was like my mom away from home while I was there. Rashmi lives in a house, set aside specifically for the principal on campus, with her husband and her daughter, a junior in high school. Her son, whom I met one time, was away at college and lived on his own. I got to meet him once. If I had one word to describe this entire family, it would be "balanced". I always felt at ease in their presence and in their home. They practice Hinduism and I was introduced to some of the ruitines they set aside during their day for devotion. Most Hindus have a section or a room in their home devoted to worship. It is essentially a shrine to whichever gods the family most associates with. I asked one time how many gods there were in Hinduism, and the answer I got was unclear. I'm not sure if anyone is sure of an actual number. I liked Krishna, a blue, flute playing, child god that likes to cause mischief. I remember Krishna so well because he is one of most beloved gods in India. Rashmi's family enjoyed a show on television based on Krishna. The god is played by an actual cute little Indian boy painted blue. The characters speak Punjabi, but Rashmi interpreted what was happening. Krishna is a lady's man. Always trying to make the ladies long for him by playing pranks. The show was pretty cute. 

The Golden Temple (Notice the Line)

Rashmi and her husband took me to Amritsar, the home of the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is a Sikh place of worship. My understanding is that Sikh people try to make a pilgrimage their at least once in their lifetime. However, everyone is welcome inside. The Golden Temple is exactly what it sounds like--a temple made of gold. It is surrounded by water, maintained and considered holy by the people. Apparently scientists have found a way to filter this water and I was encouraged to drink the water because it was totally safe and would bring me good fortune. In addition to drinking the water, I saw several people bathing in the water fully clothed. Indeed, the water was clean because I did not feel the after effects that I did after consuming only a few sips of local water elsewhere. 

Inlaid Gems in Walls of
the Temple

When we arrived at the temple, we immediately replaced our shoes with little cloth booties cover our heads. As goes in all temples, you are not welcome to wear your shoes because it is considered unclean and it is respectful to cover your head. We met up with some very important looking people that took us all the way to the front of the line, around hundreds of people, and let us enjoy a V.I.P. access route into to this magnificent structure. Back in Jallandhar, every morning before school, in my room, I routinely watched a televised worship service broadcast from the Golden Temple. I familiarized myself with what was happening and found comfort in listening to the meditative chanting words spoken and the live music played with some Indian originated instruments, even though I couldn't understand any of it. And now, I saw firsthand exactly why they practiced this ceremony every morning. I recognized that the holy people I recognized from t.v. were sitting around a very important looking movable shrine. The shrine was decorated with blankets and gems, and inside, I learned, was one sacred, handwritten holy book. It was evident that the holy book could not touch the ground and was taken care of much like a human because it was being kept warm from the blankets. The words being chanted by the holy men were from the book itself. Anyone who travels to the Golden Temple will feel at peace. It is a very beautiful service to experience. The walls on the inside are made of marble and cast with inlaid semi-precious and precious gems much like the Taj Mahal. I was extremely thankful to be allowed access into the temple. But afterward, following typical hospitality, our guides presented me with a gift. It was a light-up, box depicting the Golden Temple and ten or eleven gurus above the temple holding their hand, palm-forward, with a light ejecting from their hand down to the temple. When I pressed a button the beams would light up and make a noise similar to a light saber from Star Wars. Very cool.


After my enlightening experience at the Golden Temple, we had lunch with a very wealthy, prominant figure in Amritsar, a friend of Rashmi's. The luncheon took place in this man's grand home. We were welcomed by one of the housekeepers and asked to make ourselves comfortable in the sitting room. I remember this clearly because I've never been asked do that and it made me feel important, and honestly, a little uncomfortable. I tend to freeze up in formal situations like that. Some more guest arrived and the orderves rolled in. I remember eating plate after plate of delicious sweets, crackers, cheeses, and vegetables. When the host finally joined us, he invited us into the kitchen. We were informed that the kitchen help had prepared the meal and it was ready. The meal was traditional Indian curry. It was a red curry more like a soup and we added rice to it. I don't really remember what else was in it, but it was very hearty and delicious. Well the first bowl was anyway. Bowl after bowl of this stuff was given to us. In India, it is not polite to turn down something that is offered to you even if you don't want it. You can refuse a few times, but it is still given to you. It is only by the third or fourth refusal that it is no longer offered. This guy went above and beyond and just kept feeding us regardless of the fact that we were all stuffed to the brim. I don't think I've ever been so full in my life. Even Rashmi commented on it afterward. Another thing I remember is how careless this man was scooping up his curry. Most of it ended up on his designer suit. It didn't seem to bother him though. He had a wardrobe change following dinner. Apparently he was a man of many expensive suits.  He was a fat man in a really nice suit.

Rajinder and I in Matching Green Saris

I had a few nice traditional outfits that I wore on special occasion in India. Rashmi took me sari shopping so that I would look "smart" at the Hindu wedding I was invited to attend. In a nice sari shop, they let you sit in a couch and bring you wine. Then they bring you about every color imaginable of the most beautiful fabrics you've ever seen in your life. Everything gits you because it's not made yet. A sari is custom fit by a tailor to your exact measurements. Now I am not much of a shopper, but I could do this. Easy. If you don't know me, I am what they call a "lightweight" when it comes to alcohol. I do not have a high tolerance because I don't often drink. So maybe it was the wine going to my head, but I was convinced to buy, not one, but two beautifully hand-made silk saris. I even picked out a fabric for my pretend wedding. I knew my mother would have done the same exact thing if she were me, so I didn't mind forking over the money. Now I'm not going to get specific here, but I assure you, this price was way under the best deal I could have got in the states. In fact, I don't think I could even have ordered this fabric in the states if I wanted to. It was a big purchase to say the least, but it was mine. I love the fabrics in India.

A Rickshaw With a Heavy Load

When I came home, I felt a culture shock greater than my arrival to India. The first thing I noticed was how bland the colors are in the states. In the airport, everyone was dressed in black, gray, or some neutral color the shade of puke. The carpet, the couches, and the walls were all the same, lame tones. It also seemed slower and dull. People were driving slower and actually abiding traffic laws. No fun! I had grown used to my drivers going any speed they so desired and honking the horn to get where I needed to go. The simplicity of living was gone. No more hand pulled rickshaws, people balancing mass quantities of goods to sell on their bikes, or dung piles to be collected, dried and used as fuel for fire. Everyone seemed to have the same constipated look on their faces. I had just come from a third world country where millions of people struggle just to get by. Yet, I realized that those people seemed to share a positive attitude despite their circumstances. Why did everyone now seem to be so sad?

A Bindi (Dot on Forehead)
Can Signify Marriage
Or Just Worn for Looks

I believe that overall, most the U.S. is overworked. All work and no fun makes Jack a dull boy. But I also believe that we are stuck in our mundane lives because we choose to be. Some of us are just trying to get by. For others, nothing is enough. Why not forget the bills or the promotion just for one day? Why not do something unexpected? Something completely spontaneous? Something you've always wanted to do, but for one reason or another, have not done. We never really know how long we will be living this beautiful life, so why not make it happen now?! If you want to climb Mt. Everest, you've got a lot of money to save up. If you can't afford it, just do something you can afford to do. I lived in the Black Hills of South Dakota, a uniquely, incredibly beautiful wilderness in heart of America. It pained me to hear people say that there was nothing to do. There is always something to do. Put a smile on your face and talk to someone new. Life is what you make it. 

Wow! If this doesn't entertain you, check your vitals.